Locating an elusive military record - researchers only please?

Question:

Locating an elusive military record - researchers only please?

James McKenna, Black Range Tales, an attack on woodcutters by Apaches in the Mimbres Valley, New Mexico. McKenna, gives the date as 'the fall of 1872. All ten wood cutters were killed, along with two troopers from Ft. Cummings, and someone named Young, who might, or mightn't have been military. McKenna describes him as 'a farrier'.

Eight microfilm of the records from the US Archives have provided hints that McKenna's dates might be wrong. That the attack might have been 1869, when a mail-carrier named Young was killed [farrier - carrier similarity might explain it]. Or it might be later, during the Victorio wars.

Muster rolls have been pesky, and thus far no reports of the deaths have emerged, though they ought to be in correspondence from Cummings.

A McGurk, Company C, 4th Regiment, under Captain Tucker, Fort Cummings, was one McKenna source.

1st microfilm order assumed Cummings rpts went to Craig. But most seems to be Leavenworth.

Any thoughts where to go next?

Additional Details

16 hours ago
Thus far haven't located McGurk, nor his unit, nor Captain Tucker. But there are a lot of gaps in the Cummings correspondence and reports. I need to find where else they might be located in the archives.

I'm wondering whether there's some record set outside the US Archives containing the names and units of all military personnel who died on active duty.

I'm also wondering whether there are lists somewhere by state containing soldiers killed in each, where and when.

Or any other source you can think of that might help.

I'd like to do this by buying and searching microfilm, as opposed to hiring a private researcher in Washington.

16 hours ago
Tiff a ding ding:

As I explained in the question, and again in the details, I've already ordered and recieved 8 microfilm spools from the US Archives. They don't contain the information I'm looking for, but they do contain hints the information exists somewhere. Maybe somewhere else in the archives, such as in the Fort Leavenworth correspondence, or maybe in lists of killed in action, somewhere.

16 hours ago
In my experience, genealogists are probably the best researchers remaining in the world today when it comes to ferreting out original, illusive facts and individuals. They provided me with invaluable information I'd never have found had I not found it through them.

Geneologists are doing, today, what historians used to do, but now merely look things up in books written by other historians who took the information from other books by other historians.

You folk who are doing this know more than anyone has any business knowing about how to do what people who call themselves historians ought to be doing.

Whether you can answer this question, or can't, I tip my hat to you. You have my profound respect.

12 hours ago
You folk have put me to work today!

Thanks so much.

I've just been through the Grant County burial records site.... Great site, by the way. Found a couple of candidates I'll try to chase down various other ways. The blacksmith one was buried at Hatchita, which was a bit too far away. But William Young, died 1881, might be the man.

Fort Webster might be the place.... looks as though it was officially closed in 1866, but re-used as a temporary base during the 70s and 80s. I'm guessing there's no cemetary there, but it was a lot closer to the sawmill where the wood cutters were working, than Fort Cummings. San Lorenzo, also might turn out to be pay dirt.

I thank you.

ANNALS OF OLD FORT CUMMINGS - NEW MEXICO 1967-68, I haven't located, but I will.

[Some of you New Mexico types might have encountered my book on the Adams guy and his doings - you know who I mean]

Anyway, thunderstorm seems to be coming in up these mountains, so gonna have to unplug.

Thanks until

12 hours ago
grannytoad - I still have that T-storm going, but I decided to come back and answer you at the risk of thunder & lightning.

Friend of mine's been sniffing the back trail of McKenna for 25 years. He found Jason Baxter's grave in the Gila, found the fabled 'woman on the mountain' - gonna be pics of it in his book, and a video available, up there right now doing more ground chasing on the Divide.

Shaffer's folk are still in Pinos - got the museum up there. You might know them [poor old lady getting too decrepit to talk much anymore]. Anyway, my bud is trying to get his book out - Black Range Tales revisited, with pics of Baxter& McKenna, the grave, the woman, lots of other new stuff. But he can't do everything, so I'm helping him a bit.

I was skeptical about McKenna when he first contacted me a few years ago... he made a believer of me with what he's done.

Now it's just nailing down corners... military records need finding if they can be found, that sort of thing.

Graci

11 hours ago
Shaffer isn't the one writing the book... dunno why I mentioned him, but I surely like his mom, or grandma.

But the old Shaeffer, Fort Cummings thing is a big piece of what might interest some, judging from how things are developing.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: 16 hours ago
Thus far haven't located McGurk, nor his unit, nor Captain Tucker. But there are a lot of gaps in the Cummings correspondence and reports. I need to find where else they might be located in the archives.

I'm wondering whether there's some record set outside the US Archives containing the names and units of all military personnel who died on active duty.

I'm also wondering whether there are lists somewhere by state containing soldiers killed in each, where and when.

Or any other source you can think of that might help.

I'd like to do this by buying and searching microfilm, as opposed to hiring a private researcher in Washington.